Ask most people if it’s possible to change a company’s culture, and they’ll shake their heads. “It is what it is,” they’ll say. “That’s just how things are around here.”
But that’s not the full truth.
Company culture isn’t fixed—it’s made. It’s shaped by what people say, what they do, what they let slide, and what they choose to protect. And because it’s made, it can be remade.
It only takes one person to start, but real transformation happens when a team—at any level—decides together that it’s time to create something new.
Step One: Acknowledge What’s Not Working in your company culture
You can’t change what you won’t name.
Cultural problems often show up as tension, burnout, disengagement, or passive resistance. Maybe there’s a lack of trust. Maybe there’s a sense that no matter how hard people work, nothing changes. Whatever the signs, they usually point to the same root: a culture that’s misaligned with what people need to thrive.
This doesn’t mean you have to tear everything down. But it does mean you have to be honest about what needs to shift.
How to Approach It
Creating space for honest reflection is key—but it has to be done with care. People may not speak up if they fear judgment or backlash. To create a safe environment for truth-telling, try one or more of the following approaches:
- Establish ground rules for open dialogue, including no interrupting, no dismissive comments, and a focus on listening over fixing.
- Use an anonymous suggestion box or digital form where team members can submit concerns, frustrations, or cultural observations without fear.
- Facilitate a structured group review of the input, highlighting common themes, areas of alignment, and patterns that emerge.
- Discuss outliers with curiosity rather than defensiveness. Sometimes the lone voice reveals something the group has learned to ignore.
- Strive for consensus, not unanimity. Not everyone will agree on everything, but the group should share a clear sense of the direction for change.
This process is less about blame and more about clarity. You’re not assigning fault—you’re shining light. Once people feel heard and acknowledged, they’re far more likely to lean into the work of building something better.
This echoes the framework of Radical Candor by Kim Scott, which encourages feedback that’s both caring and direct—key when surfacing cultural issues that may be uncomfortable to name.
Step Two: Decide to Create Something New—Together
The most powerful culture shifts begin not with finger-pointing, but with a shared decision:
“We want something better. And we’re willing to build it.”
This is the turning point. When a team shifts from dwelling on what’s broken to generating something new, energy starts to rise. It’s not just about fixing problems—it’s about imagining a work environment people are excited to be part of.
You’re no longer just reacting to what’s wrong. You’re proactively designing what’s right.
This step aligns with what Simon Sinek calls “Starting With Why”—connecting your culture to a deeper sense of purpose that fuels motivation and engagement.
How to Approach It
To make this feel real—not just theoretical—encourage each person to visualize their ideal work culture in a way that’s creative and personal. Invite the team to:
- Create a vision collage or mood board using images, words, and symbols that reflect their most perfect work environment.
- Build a word cloud made up of adjectives, values, and phrases that describe how they want to feel at work, how they show up, and how others treat them.
- Include prompts like:
- What do you love most about this place?
- What do you tell your friends or family about working here?
- What kind of people do you work with in this version of your workplace?
- What values are lived out every day?
Once everyone has created their version, come together to share and synthesize the common themes. This process not only uncovers the team’s collective hopes—it invites emotional investment and begins to shape the identity of the culture you’re creating.
Step Three: Define the Roles People Want to Play in the company culture
This step gets overlooked—but it matters.
When you’re creating a new culture, people need to see themselves in it, not just around it. Company culture doesn’t shift through policy or posters—it shifts when individuals start behaving differently because they feel safe, valued, and empowered.
Brené Brown’s work on vulnerability and belonging reminds us that culture change requires emotional safety. Giving people space to explore their roles invites the courage to show up fully.
Inviting people to name the role they want to play in the emerging culture gives them agency and responsibility. It also helps the team align on who’s contributing what—and where support or stretch might be needed.
How to Approach It
Give each person space to explore how they want to show up in this new environment. This isn’t about assigning responsibilities—it’s about discovering who they want to be in a culture they’re proud to co-create.
Facilitate an open dialogue where individuals can share:
- The strengths they bring to the table
- The ways they’d like to grow or contribute
- How they want others to experience working with them
Use an active listening technique to ensure each voice feels seen and heard. After someone shares, invite a partner or group member to reflect back what they understood—not to judge or debate, but to mirror and honor the message.
This creates a moment of clarity and connection, where individuals begin to take ownership—not just of the company culture, but of their place within it.
Step Four: Choose a New Identity
Every great culture shift needs a clear identity. That doesn’t mean a slogan or a motivational poster—it means defining the essence of who you are as a team.
Ask yourselves:
- What do we want to be known for?
- How do we show up for each other?
- What values or beliefs are non-negotiable?
These questions lead to the formation of sacred tenets—the guiding principles of how you are and how you do in this new culture. They’re the behaviors and mindsets you protect, even when things get tough.
This mirrors the principles shared by Edgar Schein, who taught that company culture is ultimately defined by what leaders consistently reward, tolerate, and expect.
How to Approach It
Put up three headers on a wall or board: “What we want to be known for,” “How we show up,” and “Our non-negotiables.” Then:
- Give each team member a stack of sticky notes.
- Ask them to write down their ideas under each category.
- Have them post their notes under the appropriate section.
- Review together: find alignments, explore outliers, and generate consensus around shared values and commitments.
This tactile, visual method makes abstract ideas visible and opens the door for meaningful, inclusive discussion.
Step Five: Create Real-Time Accountability
Once your team agrees on who you want to be and how you want to work together, you also need to agree on how you’ll know when you’re off course—and what to do about it.
Consider:
- What red flags will alert us we’re slipping back into old habits?
- How do we call each other in (not out) when that happens?
- What practices will help us course-correct without blame?
Culture isn’t about perfection—it’s about direction. And feedback is the compass that keeps you aligned.
In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni outlines how lack of accountability and fear of conflict can erode team performance. By creating shared agreements and reflection tools, you build the kind of feedback loops that keep culture alive.
How to Approach It
Draw a large circle (or box) on a wall or whiteboard. Label the inside “IN” and the outside “OUT.”
- Hand out sticky notes and ask team members to write down actions, behaviors, or attitudes that belong in the new culture—and those that don’t.
- Place “IN” actions inside the shape and “OUT” actions outside of it.
- As a group, go through each sticky and discuss:
- Why is this behavior “in” or “out”?
- What does it look like in real time?
- How will we hold ourselves accountable to this?
This exercise creates a living agreement that helps your team recognize and respond when the culture starts to drift.
Final Thought: Company Culture Change is Possible—And Worth It
You don’t need permission from the top to start a cultural shift. You just need the willingness to name what’s not working and the courage to imagine something better.
One person can light the spark.
A team can build the fire.
And when that happens, culture doesn’t just change—it becomes a force that fuels everything else.
Ready to Build the company Culture You Actually Want?
If you’re ready to take these ideas further, the coaches at High Road Management Training are here to help. We specialize in helping teams align around shared values, reimagine their culture, and take practical steps that lead to real transformation. Whether you’re leading a small team or guiding an entire department, we can support you in turning culture change into lasting success.
Reach out to us to get started—and take the next step toward building the workplace you and your team deserve.
